Honda place three rookies amongst top Dakar finishers

The Rally Dakar 2016 finished today in Rosario with three Honda riders up amidst rally raid’s elite: Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec have proved to be two of the sport’s bright lights for the future.

Kevin Benavides of Honda South America Rally Team and Ricky Brabec of Team HRC concluded the adventure in the top ten of the general standings at the close of the Rally Dakar 2016; Adrien Metge was eleventh overall. For all of them, this had been the maiden Dakar outing.

The thirteenth and final stage of the rally consolidated rider’s overall positions in the general rankings, with the 180 kilometre trek to the finish-line in Rosario, not enough to allow any major upsets to the previous day’s standings. Ricky Brabec was particularly attentive over the final stretch on his Dakar debut, but held a steady, fast rhythm throughout to post eighth place on the day. The American rider, who managed to take ninth overall position, had good cause to celebrate, with the Californian – an expert in desert races – churning out consistently fine performances. Brabec, 24, took a well-deserved top ten place, especially given that he had been out of racing for five months after a serious accident in an American rally in 2015.

Italian Paolo Ceci, 40, completed his double objective for the Dakar well: firstly, he made it through the whole 9000 km ordeal until the Rosario finish-line, and secondly, was able to aid his team-mates on numerous crucial occasions. Ceci was fundamental in various stages, having to tow Paulo Gonçalves and Joan Barreda when they ran into different problems. Paolo Ceci has become something of Team HRC’s guardian angel and adds another completed Dakar to his honour’s list which now stands at a 100% finish rate for each of his five participations.

Honda South America Rally Team has been the revelation of the Rally Dakar. After the falls suffered by its most veteran components, the inexperienced newcomers took over and stole the show, finishing amongst the big guns. It was Kevin Benavides, 27, whose star shone the brightest, not only for Team HSA, but also for Argentinean motorcycling, as he became the first Argentine ever to win a Dakar stage. Kevin finished in fourth overall place.

Frenchman, Adrien Metge, 29, also of Honda South America Rally Team, by way of Honda Brasil with whom he began racing in 2015, will also go home happy after a more-than-satisfactory Dakar, taking 12ths spot on the day to finish 11th overall.

Ricky Brabec 48

STAGE: 8thFINAL: 9th

I’m really excited finishing my first Dakar. I want to come back and do better. I’m excited to be in the team. This is my third rally ever, so that is a huge accomplishment for me. So, finishing in the top ten in my first rally is pretty good and I’m the only rider on the team to get a top ten. So, we’ll see if we can improve and come back next year and do better. Back in June 2015 I had a broken neck and it took a good six month to heal. I was talking to a doctor, eating some special foods and trying to get as much calcium and vitamins as I needed to get back to racing. This is my second race back and the biggest race in the world and I’m happy to have accomplished the goal and get a finish and my medal.

Paolo Ceci 32

STAGE: 45thFINAL: 32nd

I’m happy to have got to the end. I’m satisfied with the result. I worked hard for the team and I did my job. I’m a bit disappointed that my team-mates were unable to finish, but I’m sure that we will be back next year stronger and we will win the race. It has been a great experience to race with the team, a solid one, that always goes in search of a win.

Kevin Benavides 47

STAGE: 2ndFINAL: 4th

It has been a really hard, difficult Dakar, but I have been able to learn a lot from the race. I have arrived at Rosario, which is a dream and in addition I was able to win a stage and be the top rookie in the Dakar. In spite of some mistakes, I have learnt a lot and I believe that for the next one I will do even better. I’m going to continue working to improve every day.

Adrien Metge 61

STAGE: 13thFINAL: 11th

If you had told me a year ago that I would be here in the Dakar and that I would finish eleventh, I would have told you that it was impossible. But here I am, I’ve finished the Dakar and I’m really, really happy about it. I’ve only been competing in rally for a year and this, my first Dakar, leaves me super-satisfied. My aim everyday was to get to the end and that way I was able to make it. The team and the bike no doubt helped a lot in achieving this objective. I have had a great time riding a Honda.

2016 Dakar RallySaturday, January 16th 2016

Stage
Round DAK16
, 13 Dakar Rally 2016Dakar

Stage 13 . Villa Carlos Paz - Rosario

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Team

Constructor

Time/Gap

1

Quintanilla Pablo

4

CHI

Husqvarna Factory Rally Team

Husqvarna

1:51'27

2

Benavides Kevin

47

ARG

Honda South America Rally Team

Honda

+1'41

3

Rodrigues Helder

7

POR

Yamaha Motor Europe

Yamaha

+2'37

4

Price Toby

3

AUS

Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team

KTM

+4'22

5

Svitko Stefan

5

SLO

Slovnaft Team

KTM

+6'24

6

Farres Gerard

23

SPA

Himoinsa Team

KTM

+10'52

7

Cervantes Iván

52

SPA

Himoinsa Team

KTM

+11'50

8

Brabec Ricky

48

USA

Team HRC

Honda

+12'43

9

Van Beveren Adrien

42

FRA

Yamaha Motor Europe

Yamaha

+14'09

11

Vogels Hans

29

NDL

Team Hans Vogels

KTM

+14'53

12

Monleon Armand

45

SPA

KTM Warsaw Rally Team

KTM

+14'58

13

Metge Adrien

61

FRA

Honda South America Rally Team

Honda

+15'09

14

Gouet Daniel

21

CHI

Daniel Gouet Racing Team

Suzuki

+15'15

15

Cerutti Jacopo

33

ITA

Solarys Racing

Husqvarna

+15'16

45

Ceci Paolo

32

ITA

Team HRC

Honda

+29'57

2016 Dakar RallySaturday, January 16th 2016

Stage
Round DAK16
, 13 Dakar Rally 2016Dakar

Final standings Dakar Rally 2016

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Team

Constructor

Time/Gap

1

Price Toby

3

AUS

Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team

KTM

48:09'15

2

Svitko Stefan

5

SLO

Slovnaft Team

KTM

+39'41

3

Quintanilla Pablo

4

CHI

Husqvarna Factory Rally Team

Husqvarna

+48'48

4

Benavides Kevin

47

ARG

Honda South America Rally Team

Honda

+54'47

5

Rodrigues Helder

7

POR

Yamaha Motor Europe

Yamaha

+55'44

6

Van Beveren Adrien

42

FRA

Yamaha Motor Europe

Yamaha

+1:46'29

7

Meo Antoine

49

FRA

Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team

KTM

+1:56'47

8

Farres Gerard

23

SPA

Himoinsa Team

KTM

+2:01'00

9

Brabec Ricky

48

USA

Team HRC

Honda

+2:11'27

10

Monleon Armand

45

SPA

KTM Warsaw Rally Team

KTM

+3:27'49

11

Metge Adrien

61

FRA

Honda South America Rally Team

Honda

+3:50'05

32

Ceci Paolo

32

ITA

Team HRC

Honda

+9:29'00

Gallery

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Team HRC Dakar Rally Stage 13

The Rally Dakar 2016 finished today in Rosario with three Honda riders up amidst rally raid’s elite: Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec have proved to be two of the sport’s bright lights for the future.

Team HRC Dakar Rally Stage 12

A relatively quiet day for the Team HRC riders as the Dakar 2016 enters the final stretch. Three out of the four factory riders from Team HRC and Honda South America Rally Team are young Dakar rookies chasing down top ten finishes.

Location Information

The greatest and toughest rally in the world, the Dakar’s history has been written in the heart of some of the world’s most stunning deserts and belongs to the world of the greatest sporting challenges of our time. Both a motor race and an orienteering challenge, the Dakar Rally pits… read more.

Location Information

The greatest and toughest rally in the world, the Dakar’s history has been written in the heart of some of the world’s most stunning deserts and belongs to the world of the greatest sporting challenges of our time. Both a motor race and an orienteering challenge, the Dakar Rally pits… read more.